Southern Utah Life in Brief

Cedar City Library hosts former polygamist, author

Today, the Cedar City Library will host Kristyn Decker, author of the book "Fifty Years in Polygamy: Big Secrets and Little White Lies." Decker will describe "the pain and jealousy she experienced living as part of a polygamist sect" and her struggle "to reconcile a lifelong unease with the teachings of those she loved."

The author visit is sponsored by the Cedar City Library as part of the Utah Humanities Book Festival.

"The library is, by its nature, an open forum for discussion," Library Director Steve Decker (no known relation to the author), said. "We are happy to support authors and ideas. That doesn't mean that the ideas are reflective of Cedar City or the library. It simply means that we are, as our mission statement says, a source of self-education and personal enrichment."

Kristyn Decker's presentation will be at 6 p.m. and copies of her book will be available for purchase.

Stake president to speak on Christ's atonement, resurrection

On Friday at 7 p.m., Steven R. Bangerter will speak at the weekly fireside at the St. George Tabernacle. His talk is titled "The Atonement and Resurrection of our Savior, Jesus Christ." As a religious leader, he has especially enjoyed serving the youth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through his work as a teacher, Young Men's president, Elders' Quorum president, high councilor and bishop. He is the stake president of the St. George Washington Fields Stake.

Bangerter is an attorney, who in 2004 established Bangerter Sheppard, PC, with offices in Oakland, Calif., Los Angeles and St. George. He has handled thousands of religious-based cases. Prior to entering the law profession, Bangerter worked as a licensed radiation therapist with a specialty credential in intra-operative radiation oncology.

The fireside is free, dress is casual and everyone is welcome. An elevator and access for those with disabilities are available at the tabernacle's west entrance. For information, visit www.stgeorgetemplevisitorscenter.info or call 673-5181.

Youth Orchestra to perform Saturday

Tuacahn High School for the Performing Arts announces the inaugural concert of the Tuacahn Youth Symphony Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the St. George Opera House.

TYCO is a youth ensemble made up of students from the Washington County area as well as string students from Tuacahn High School. These students will provide four full-length professional-style concerts throughout the 2012-13 academic year featuring guest professional artists. TYCO is under the direction of Jason Bonham, director of orchestra at Tuacahn High School and newly appointed principal violist of the Las Vegas Philharmonic.

For information, visit www.TuacahnYouth.org.

Organist to celebrate Phantom of the Opera legend

The Saturday recital at the St. George Tabernacle is titled "The Three Phantoms." The performance begins at 12:15 p.m. and Geoff Myers is the organist.

According to Myers, when one thinks of the legend of the Phantom of the Opera, three distinct images come to mind - the phantom described in the novel by Gaston Leroux in 1910, Lon Chaney's portrayal in the 1925 horror classic and the enchanting phantom of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1986 musical elaborated in Joel Schumacher's 2004 film.

Myers' concert will explore the phantoms and celebrate the different portrayals of this mysterious figure though word, film, and music. You will hear Leroux's description of the phantom, see Chaney's performance in the silent movie classic accompanied by the organ and be enchanted by the music of Webber's Phantom of the Opera.

The concert is free, dress is casual and everyone is welcome. An elevator and access for those with disabilities are available at the tabernacle's west entrance. For information, visit www.stgeorgetemplevisitorscenter.info or call 673-5181.

Couple featured in Heritage Choir's Musical Firesides

The Southern Utah Heritage Choir will present Musical Firesides at 7:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in the St. George Tabernacle, featuring speaker Gerald N. Lund. Lund will be joined by his wife, Lynn, a composer. The Heritage Choir will feature choral and piano compositions by Lynn Lund, including "A Marvelous Work" and "No Other Name."

Gerald Lund is an author and speaker. His latest book, published in March, is "Look Up My Soul: The Divine Promise of Hope." Lynn Lund has published numerous books of hymn arrangements for piano and choral arrangements.

The 200-voice choir is under the direction of Floyd Rigby and Nancy Allred, with assistance from Terrell Lamoreaux and Karen Lee Cantera.

The choir will present its next Musical Fireside at 7 p.m. Nov. 1, as they honor Washington County Veterans who have given their lives for the country. The choir will feature tenor Brodie Perry and the Santa Clara Elementary Cougar Choir directed by Rebecca Boyle.

SUU presents two presentations on quilts

Mona Covington will present the workshop Twice Warmed: Traditional to Art Quilts about quilting's influences on society Saturday from 1 to 3 p.m. in SUU's Braithwaite Fine Arts Gallery. The workshop, which is free, is part of the Saturday program series for the Everything In Between: Art Quilts, Fabric Collage and Embroidery exhibition at the gallery. In addition, starting at 10 a.m., there will a family-friendly presentation on Color and Animal Communication at the Gallery by Jacqualine Grant.

As a quilter, collector and teacher, Covington served as the Cedar Chest Quilters' guild president for two years and on the Utah State Quilt Guild board as a region representative for two years. Covington maintains a library of books pertaining to quilt history, pattern and textile research and appraisal information and her personal collection includes quilts and tops dating from 1880 to the present.

Grant, director of SUU's Garth and Jerri Frehner Museum of Natural History, has created a correlation between the quilts on exhibit in the Braithwaite Gallery and color in the animal kingdom. Her presentation, Color and Animal Communication, will use the color combinations in the quilts to explore how animals use color in their world to communicate and camouflage.

For information about these events, visit the gallery website, www.edu/pva/artgallery.

Writers invited to free seminar

The Heritage Writers Guild of Southern Utah is hosting a free writers presentation on Friday at 6:30 p.m. and again Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Lexington Hotel, 850 S. Bluff St., St. George. The event will feature several authors, publishers and writing specialists who will offer insights in the world of writing.

The event will also feature the area's first Authorpalooza, which will feature over a dozen published authors who will be on hand to answer questions, sign books and offer advice on writing and publishing.

For information, call Conference Chairman David Smith at 680-3250. All ages and abilities of writers are welcome.

- The Spectrum & Daily News

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Southern Utah Life in Brief

Today, the Cedar City Library will host Kristyn Decker, author of the book 'Fifty Years in Polygamy: Big Secrets and Little White Lies.' Decker will describe 'the pain and jealousy she experienced